


Far Reaches of Space

by Tarlan



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Angst, Community: mcsheplets, Drama, M/M, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-20
Updated: 2011-06-20
Packaged: 2017-10-20 14:13:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/213624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was easier to say nothing rather than risk their friendship, but when Rodney is kidnapped along with the important technology he had created, John realizes that unless he acts fast then he is facing the very real possibility of losing Rodney forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Far Reaches of Space

**Author's Note:**

  * For [raphe1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/raphe1/gifts).



> ******************************************************************************************  
> This is for **RAPHE1** for their generous donation through the help_japan charity auction.  
> ******************************************************************************************
> 
> Also meets the mcsheplets prompt #97 Celebrate
> 
> With extra thanks to AQUALEGIA for being a great sounding board, and to TAIBHRIGH for the fast beta :)

Today he should have been celebrating his marriage to Jennifer but with only a few days left before the _big day_ , Jennifer had come to him looking miserable and upset, twisting her hands and stammering out her words of regret. He still couldn't quite believe that it was over between them, and as if that hadn't been hard enough, he had been avoiding calls from Jeannie ever since. The single email that had managed to sneak by the firewalls he had set up had basically asked him if it was all his fault. In truth, he couldn't answer her. Jennifer had given him the usual, _it's me, not you_ excuse and now she was gone. Well, not gone exactly as she was still the CMO on Atlantis, but certainly keeping her distance from him.

Confused and miserable, he accepted the offer of beers on the pier, and sank down next to John, too despondent to even let his legs kick back and forth as they dangled over the edge. The first can went down in just a few swallows, and when John bumped shoulders with him before handing over another, Rodney felt some of the tension leave his body. Whatever had happened to make Jennifer change her mind about their joint future was not something he was going to discover any time soon. If it was him at fault--if he had done something to drive her away--then the fact he hadn't gotten a clue was probably proof enough it would never have worked between them in the long run. He couldn't change if he didn't know what he was doing wrong, and sometimes he couldn't change even when he did know what was causing her distress.

He knew he could be petty and arrogant, even vindictive occasionally. He knew that he _didn't play nicely with the other kids_ , not wanting to share his ideas because he had seen too much stolen from him over the years--both intentionally and through specially handled leaks from the SGC. He knew he should have won the Nobel Prize several times over by now, instead he had seen others gaining that accolade on the back of his secret work. He knew he was competitive and could be a sore loser, and he knew he never tolerated fools gladly despite Jennifer's chiding to be a better person, but as much as he had wanted the prestige that came with being nominated for the Nobel, he had chosen Atlantis--and obscurity--over those accolades.

"It isn't like she doesn't have her own faults," Rodney blurted out loud.

John made no answer, simply bumping his shoulder again in commiseration as he handed him another beer.

****

Although he didn't want to admit it out loud, John was glad Keller had broken off the engagement because he knew both of them would regret it sooner or later. Although he held a fair amount of respect for her medical skills, he hated the way she was trying to change Rodney into her personal ideal mate rather than accept him as he was, warts and all. Eventually Rodney would stop trying so hard to impress her and when she realized he couldn't change to the degree she wanted, they would both be miserable.

Sadly, the very flaws that Keller wanted to change were the ones that made Rodney the formidable scientist that had saved Atlantis a dozen times over. Admittedly, a few of Rodney's staff had been enraged by his attitude over the years but they had become better scientists because of it. They might hate him on occasion but they knew that when all hell broke loose, the enforced attention to detail and the hours of mockery and chastisement would have them working at their very best. John had seen first hand how much more precious a simple _good job_ from Rodney was received because he never gave praise lightly. He had seen how many puffed out their chests when Rodney finally remembered their name, because in their eyes it meant that Rodney thought them worthy of being remembered. Too his endless amusement, many of the scientists actually saw that as a rite of passage.

His own command style was a lot different but John likened his to commanding dogs while Rodney herded cats.

As for Keller, she was still the CMO but John knew that she'd already applied for a transfer to the SGC so she could remain closer to her dying father. He could understand and respect that decision even though he and his father had been estranged for years before he received notice of his father's death. Or maybe it was because of that estrangement which had left him filled with regrets. Dave had said his father died with regrets too, for not healing the rift between them.

Which led him to new regrets.

He bumped his shoulder with Rodney, wishing he had the courage to demand a far more intimate contact with his best friend. With DADT no longer an issue, he had only the non-fraternization regulations holding him back, and even that would have no hold over him once they had returned to Pegasus. With so many more scientists and military on-board, neither of them had the luxury of disappearing for days at a time on missions in the future. Instead, John planned to turn the leadership of the team over to Teyla and let Ronon decide if he wanted to be Teyla's second in Atlantis's premier First Contact team or take command of his own team as military support. Of course, he wouldn't remove them from the off-world roster altogether, just limit their missions to ones of greater relevance--second contact to verify or assess new technological discoveries.

However, DADT or not, fraternization regulations or not, he had no idea how Rodney would react to John suddenly leaning over and kissing him hard and hot, and in a way that left no doubt of his sexual intentions towards Rodney. He winced as he imagined Rodney flailing in shock and falling off the pier into the dark water lapping at the pier ten feet or more below them in his attempt to put some distance between them. So maybe any overt declarations would require the right time and place. Plus he wouldn't want to have Rodney on the rebound from Keller, losing their friendship at a time when Rodney probably needed it the most.

So he stayed silent, determined to give Rodney time to get over Keller. Instead he gazed at the far distant lights of San Francisco while wishing he was sitting beside Rodney a whole galaxy away from Earth...and though it felt childish to admit it, far from Keller too.

****

A month later, Rodney was bouncing on the balls of his feet as they crossed into the Pegasus galaxy, heading back to their original home on Lantea. He was looking forward to seeing the whales again, and wondered if Sam would remember him. In the Chair Room, John had insisted on being the one in the driver's seat for most of the far slower trip back home. Although Rodney's instantaneous wormhole travel had worked, bringing Atlantis to Earth in time to save the planet from the Wraith superhive, it had taken a lot of energy from the ZPM and caused structural damage that had taken months to repair. They wouldn't risk it again until Rodney and Zelenka had worked out the kinks--or unless there was another dire emergency giving them little choice but to engage the drive.

While on Earth, Rodney had overseen the repairs on Atlantis while setting up a prototype for his wormhole engine on the new ship, the _Hermes_ , named after the swift-footed messenger from Greek mythology. She was only half the size of the _Daedalus_ , built for speed and military usage rather than as a glorified cargo ship. Not that he wanted to denigrate the _Daedalus_. After all, Caldwell had pulled their butts out of the fire too many times both as a cargo vessel and as a battleship. The _Hermes_ was docked on the West pier after weeks of arguing back and forth over who should continue with Rodney's work. To Rodney, it only seemed fair that he retain control--and they owed him. Big time. Once he had stabilized the drive then it would revolutionize space travel, surpassing even that of the Ancients and the Asgard. Earth would have an instantaneous advantage over the rest of the Milky Way...and over the Wraith in Pegasus too.

If only for that reason, the SGC determined that leaving Rodney working on his project was to their advantage, plus it put the project out of the reach of certain factions within the Milky Way, such as the Lucian Alliance. Of course it meant bringing a slightly larger engineering complement to Pegasus to work on the _Hermes_ , and a larger military presence for security, but Atlantis was a large city that had been empty for far too long.

When Rodney recalled leaving Earth that very first time, he recalled the trepidation of stepping into the unknown with no guarantee that they would ever return. He had spent months prior to the mission worrying over his decision to head up the science contingent on Atlantis, fully aware that he was likely throwing away his chance of ever seeing his name on the list of Nobel recipients--and possibly throwing away his life if they reached Atlantis and found only their own tomb. He almost balked at the last hurdle when Elizabeth had given one last chance for anyone to withdraw from the Atlantis Expedition. It was the undisguised want in Jackson's eyes that had given Rodney that final push, knowing that Jackson would have leaped through the Stargate stark naked if O'Neill had said, "Yes", at the last moment. Stepping foot inside the lost city of Atlantis was the fulfillment of every adventurer's dream for centuries.

One day all of this would all be declassified, and Rodney knew that he would find his fame then.

Leaving Earth this last time had filled him with a whole different slew of emotions: excitement, eagerness, perhaps a little emotional turmoil after having forged a stronger relationship with Jeannie after four years of estrangement. Atlantis was his home now, and she no longer belonged on the planet of her origin...on Earth, or even in the Milky Way. She had left Earth to escape a plague that was ravaging her people; to give them a new start in a new galaxy and now she was the last great hope for the people of Pegasus; a hope to end a ten thousand year war and enslavement by the Wraith. She was their shining torch for a golden future, and Rodney had seen enough of the former glory in Pegasus to want to be a part of that future.

On the balcony outside the control room, Rodney found a place where he could see the mass of stars in Pegasus begin to thicken while, behind them, the darkness stretched into the empty space between the two galaxies. It was amazing, and he turned with an excited grin as a shoulder bumped his, realizing that John must have handed over the Chair to Lorne as soon as they crossed into Pegasus and raced up here.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Rodney indicated towards the stars with a wide gesture.

"Cool!"

The warmth of John pressing against his side brought back the memory of standing in almost this exact spot months earlier, gazing towards the Golden Gate Bridge from just outside of San Francisco's bay, with his arm around Jennifer. He felt a small pang of regret but was surprised to realize that he missed her friendship more than the intimate aspects of their former relationship. The sex had never been amazing but even bad sex was better than no sex, and yet he didn't miss sharing a bed with her. He didn't miss the feel of her in his arms or the press of her lips against his. Instead, after getting over the awkwardness of the break-up they had fallen back into a casual friendship of sharing coffee in the mess hall and the occasional meal. It was enough to convince him that they were never meant to be together in marriage, just good friends--and even John had lightened up to her company during those last few weeks.

He frowned on that thought, wondering if he was missing something but dealing with people had never been one of his strengths, with a string of broken relationships behind him as proof of that. At least he wasn't alone in his inability to hold onto a relationship, although he had yet to actually make it to the proverbial altar like John. But then, it meant he hadn't had to go through the horrors of a messy divorce either. At least he assumed it would be messy as that was surely the nature of all things once lawyers got involved.

For a moment he wondered about John's ex-wife. Ronon had met her at the funeral but had shrugged off all of Rodney's probing questions, refusing to say anything other than, _she seemed nice_.

Nice.

Rodney grimaced. He had been expecting more adjectives along the line of hot and stunning. He couldn't imagine John being with anyone who wasn't on the same level on the Kinsey Scale. Instead, Rodney had been forced to make do with hacking the Homeland Security database to get her file at the first opportunity. The photo wasn't very flattering but still confirmed his suspicion that she was a hot brunette. That was definitely John's type--like Chaya and that awful Traveler woman, Larpin? Lardin? The name escaped him. Of course, there had been some blonds too, notably Norina, though John's interest in her had faded as soon as she and her people were no longer on Atlantis. In hindsight, John had only made overt gestures of interest towards Norina whenever Rodney approached her, practically ignoring her otherwise. If Rodney was truly as paranoid as others made him out to be then he would have sworn John was doing it deliberately to keep Rodney from hooking up with Norina.

However, that attitude hadn't stretched to all blonds, and Jennifer had asked once or twice if John actively disliked her after she caught him _looking_ at her with _an unfriendly expression_. Admittedly, John tended to keep his distance from Jennifer but Rodney put that down to her inappropriate remark about _playing with John's insides_. Despite outward appearances, John was actually quite squeamish about body innards but then--according to his military record--he'd ferried what was left of two good friends from a helicopter taken down by a surface-to-air missile outside of Kabul. So completely understandable really.

Certainly, John's seeming dislike of Jennifer had intensified after the parasite-in-the-brain incident but Jennifer had only been doing her job to the best of her ability. The Jumper should have contained a full medical kit, and it was remiss of her not to have checked before they left Atlantis, but she'd had a lot on her mind at the time. As it was, she'd performed brilliantly with what was available--although Rodney still suffered from John's _home improvement_ jokes.

Rodney smiled. By the time he had finished with the ground crew responsible for stocking the Jumpers, none of them would ever forget their duties again.

In a totally weird and completely confusing way, Rodney was almost glad that Jennifer had broken off their engagement because he had been dreading asking John to stand with him as his best man. He'd had a strong feeling that John would either refuse outright or take it on as a duty rather than as an honor. Instead, John had thawed towards Jennifer since the break-up, and for one fleeting moment Rodney had entertained the idea that John's animosity had been based on misdirected jealousy, aimed at the person he wanted rather than at the person taking Jennifer away from him. But John had made no overtures towards Jennifer beyond professional courtesy and the occasional shared coffee while in the company of others. If there had been any romantic intentions towards Jennifer then John had obviously got over them pretty quick.

Rodney had to admit that it wasn't until after the break-up that he realized how much he had missed John's company while he _courted_ Jennifer. He had missed their shared meals, talking about old science fiction shows and lambasting John's poor taste in movies, and he had missed all the free time they used to spend playing games or racing cars. He had also missed bouncing ideas off of John, discovering that he shared very little in common with Jennifer beyond social gossip--mostly because soft science and medicine held little interest to him whereas John had finally started to put his rusty _Masters in Aeronautical Engineering_ to some use and input ideas for the _Hermes_.

"Home," John stated softly.

The darkness was swallowed up completely by the stars of Pegasus but still Rodney lingered, enjoying John's presence and for once finding no need to break the companionable silence. Instead, he let the warmth along his side from John's closeness seep into him, watching the occasional flares as drifting space debris impacted against the shields, and recalling a time when it had been Wraith bombardment rather than meteors. He knew the silence would not last though, and sure enough he felt the shift as John reach for his radio moments later.

"Sheppard here. I'll be there in five." John bumped Rodney's shoulder one more time before half turning to face him. His eyes were filled with regret and apology. "Lorne needs me."

Rodney hummed, deep in thought. "I need to be getting back too, before Radek convinces everyone I'm dead so he can raid my coffee supplies."

They walked back inside, shoulder-to-shoulder, and parted company at the transporter. Rodney selected the West Pier where Radek was running additional simulations on the wormhole drive prior to formal testing on the _Hermes_ , and moments later he was on-board and heading for the bridge.

"Radek!"

"Here, Rodney!"

Within seconds, Rodney was hunched down beside Radek, and his strange thoughts about John on the balcony were quickly forgotten.

****

His business with Lorne took barely half an hour, and fortunately wasn't urgent. Atlantis had needed a minor navigation adjustment but for some reason, she was being a little sluggish to respond--though John had his suspicion that it was conflicting thoughts within Lorne. The mental component of the Chair could be a challenge to control. Lorne had been painting the Atlantis skyline framed by the many moons in their previous location and John suspected that he'd had those thoughts uppermost in his mind when he tried to direct Atlantis to Lantea instead of back to that world. As it wasn't a major issue at this point, John decided to grab Rodney later and ask him to check out the navigational subroutines just in case he was wrong and there was a glitch. For now, though, Atlantis was back on course.

Leaving a sheepish Lorne in charge of the Chair, he made his way back to his office where he had a shed-load of documents to read and file--some on paper but most in his online mailbox. He eyed the number with disdain--duty rosters, ordnance, appraisals, disciplinary actions and numerous reports that others had copied him into pertaining to the day-to-day running and security of the city.

A list of new arrivals caught his attention and he was amazed again at how many names were on the list. There were four times the number of people now on Atlantis than had stepped through the gate on the original expedition, with two soldiers for every three scientists. John liked to know about each of his men, aware that he had a sixth sense that seemed to pick up the ones that might cause trouble. Three hours later, he had set aside some questions for Lorne to chase down on twelve of the new men under his command. He glanced at his watch and groaned, realizing that he had missed the dinner rush, which often meant being saddled with whatever no one else had wanted on the day's menu.

He tapped his radio. "McKay."

"Yes, here, Sheppard."

"Dinner?"

"Wha...?"

John smiled, able to visualize Rodney's reaction from the shocked and confused exclamation. If Rodney had already eaten then he would have said so straight away but John had a feeling Rodney would get too involved in his work and forget to eat--just like him really, he had to admit.

"I'll see you in the mess hall in five. Sheppard out."

He cut off the call as Rodney began to splutter out a response, knowing Rodney would stop whatever he was doing and meet him there if only to berate him for interrupting important work. Sure enough, Rodney stormed in a few minutes later and was derailed from his annoyance the moment he inhaled the scent of cooked food. John had noticed that only the bland or weird looking Pegasus-style dishes remained. As Rodney had no objection to either--except for the small purple fruits that had a similar chemical composition to a lemon rather than to Earth grapes--he snatched up a tray and started piling it high with a variety of colors and textures. By the time he sank into the seat opposite John, he was humming happily to himself and John swore he started digging in before he'd even settled his ass into the seat. He grinned at the thought and Rodney paused with the overloaded fork partway to his mouth.

"What?"

"Just wondering if you mentioned where you were going to Zelenka."

Confused, Rodney grimaced. "Why would I--?" Enlightenment came and he stabbed his radio. "Radek? I'm in the mess hall." He winced and John could bet Rodney just gained an earful of curses. "Yes, they're still serving hot food." he signed off and gave John a sheepish look. "He's on his way with the rest of the team."

The area became rowdier as Radek joined them and the other scientists took tables close by, and twice John had to grab Rodney's arm to stop him flicking pseudo-mashed potato over everyone when he started waving his arms in a heated exchange. Of course, seeing Rodney talking with his mouth full was no pleasurable experience either and John wished that was one of the bad habits Keller had managed to change in Rodney.

An hour later, everyone except for John and Rodney had dispersed, either back to their work or off to follow some other pursuit for what was left of the evening. John had persuaded Rodney to stay by sliding over his dessert and offering to refill both their coffees. It truly was that easy with Rodney though most people tended to want to escape rather than keep Rodney's company, and John considered that their loss. Rodney really was very entertaining once John had eased him off the technobabble and onto more mainstream topics.

More importantly, John loved watching Rodney slowly relax. He loved seeing the tenseness around his eyes ease and the furrows on his brow smooth away. The natural downturn of one corner of his mouth would slowly even out or rise in soft smiles and eyes dulled by irritation and fatigue would start to brighten as they talked of inconsequential things such as bad movies or good comics.

John sprawled back in his seat with one arm thrown casually across the back of the chair as he listened to Rodney compare Batmans from various shows and movies. He had missed this when Rodney was dating Keller, and even though he desperately wanted to tell Rodney how much he wanted him, the thought of losing this closeness again--should his advances horrify Rodney--was hard to contemplate.

Once they had settled on Lantea and he had formally disbanded the team, he would force himself to make that decision...but not a moment sooner. For now he would simply enjoy Rodney's company...and dream of more.

****

Another two months past before the _Hermes_ was ready for its first test flight and Rodney could tell John was just as excited at the prospect of taking out the ship on its maiden flight. Once the shakedown flight was completed--and any problems dealt with--only then would Rodney allow them to start testing the new wormhole drive. Of course, he insisted on being on-board when she took her maiden flight, despite several juvenile attempts to scare him off with references to _Titanic_ , and renditions of _My Heart Will Go On_. In truth, he knew the teasing was intended to have the opposite effect rather than to push shadows of doubt into his mind. No one expected any major problems because, like any great scientist, Rodney had learned from his mistakes. It didn't stop him from making new ones but it ensured that he had covered everything he and the engineering team could contemplate. Just in case the crew had to abandon ship in the void between solar systems there were EVA lifeboats and suits on-board with highly sophisticated beacons that the Wraith should not be able to pick up with their sensors. There were sufficient rations to last the crew over a month should the _Hermes_ end up adrift with engine failure and, as an added protection, the _Daedalus_ was holding position at the edge of the Milky Way just in case she needed to render assistance.

So far the normal hyperdrive had worked beautifully in the simulations but Rodney wanted to do one last test before he let John take out the _Hermes_ with a skeleton crew. He blinked when he entered the flight deck to find one of the engineers already in the control room.

"What are you doing here?"

The man tensed. "Checking the flight test results, sir."

"On the security console?" Rodney pushed the man aside and began to tap quickly on the keys, bringing up information and reading it quickly. His own shoulders tensed at the data being returned and he spun around to face the engineer, freezing when he found a ZAT gun aimed right at him. Rodney clenched his jaw before demanding, "Who are you?"

"I'm the man whose going to be rich beyond my wildest dreams once I sell the wormhole drive to the highest bidder." The man sneered. "But, you know what, I think I might get an even better deal if I sell its creator along with it."

"You'll never get off Atlantis alive," Rodney ground out.

"Oh, I will, McKay. In fact, having you on-board just makes it even easier." The engineer's smirk dropped into a hard smile. "Now back up and sit down over there." He indicated towards the chair in front of the communications console.

Rodney glanced towards it, calculating his chances of sending out a distress call before they could disable it--or him. He sat down slowly, watching the engineer for a moment's distraction but, instead, saw the man's hand tighten on the ZAT.

"No, no, no! Wai--" The strange twanging of the ZAT firing was the last sound he heard before the energy bolt struck him.

****

" _Hermes_! Come in. Rodney? What is happening?" Radek cursed in his native language as the _Hermes_ began to lift off from the West Pier. He clicked his radio headset. "Rodney? Rodney!" Cursing again when he gained no response but Sheppard must have either been monitoring the channel or been contacted by the on-duty gate technician because he arrived at a run, sliding to a stop beside Radek.

"What's going on?"

"The _Hermes_ has lifted off. I cannot contact anyone on the bridge, and I cannot locate Rodney."

"Where did you last see him?" Sheppard spun Radek's chair around and repeated the question when Radek delayed a second too long, and Radek was shocked by the intensity in the colonel's face and voice.

"On-board. He wanted to make last minute check on _Hermes_ before the maiden flight later today."

Sheppard leaned over Radek and operated the comms panel. "McKay!" He jerked back when an unfamiliar voice answered.

"Sorry, Colonel, but Doctor McKay is...resting."

"Who is this? If you harm McKay--"

"Oh, I have no intention of harming the man who will make me rich beyond my wildest dreams." The man's voice turned hard. "Not unless you give me no choice."

Beside him Radek murmured. " _Hermes_ is clearing atmosphere. Hyperdrive engines coming online."

"Goodbye, Colonel." Communication with the _Hermes_ broke off and the _Hermes_ jumped into hyperspace leaving Sheppard slamming his fist down on the edge of the console in frustration.

"Heading?" he yelled but Radek knew it made little difference. They did not have a ship close enough or fast enough to follow, even if they knew where the _Hermes_ was heading. "Radek! Heading!"

"Towards the Milky Way," he replied, and it was obvious really as where else would the hijackers find those willing to pay a high sum for the _Hermes_ with its almost completely installed but untested wormhole drive, and the drive's inventor?

By now Woolsey had joined them. "Open the Stargate to the SGC."

Radek almost smacked himself on the forehead. "Of course! The _Daedalus_ is waiting at the edge of the Milky Way. It could intercept."

Sheppard wasn't as convinced. "Atlantis can track the _Hermes_ almost to the edge of the galaxy, but once the ship reaches the void between the galaxies, we have no idea what path she'll take, but you can bet it won't be the most direct route straight towards the _Daedalus_." He straightened. "No. We have to intercept before she leaves Pegasus."

"Even the Jumper fitted with hyperdrive cannot catch the _Hermes_ ," Radek stated solemnly because they had named the new ship well. Not taking the addition of a ZPM into account, she was the fastest ship in Earth's fleet, able to traverse the distance between Earth and Atlantis in fifteen days rather than the twenty-one taken by the _Daedalus_. Once Rodney's wormhole drive was operational, there would be nothing faster--not even a ship powered by a ZPM.

"I don't plan to chase her. I'm going to ambush her." Sheppard turned to Woolsey. "With your permission."

"Granted!"

Once again Radek felt like an idiot, too wrapped up in speed calculations to remember the most important feature of the Ancient Puddlejumper was its ability to travel through the Stargate system. All Sheppard had to do was jump to the Stargate right at the edge of Pegasus and use its hyperdrive to travel to the intercept point where it could wait for the _Hermes_. With luck, the hijackers might not be aware of the single Jumper outfitted with a hyperdrive that had been used to steal ZPMs from the Asurans. It was rarely used, and according to the manifest it had been left behind on Earth, but that had been an administration error. The hyperdrive-fitted Jumper was docked in the bay upstairs.

With a nod from Woolsey, Sheppard was on the radio immediately, contacting Ronon, Teyla and Lorne to meet him in the conference room in ten minutes. Radek almost jumped when Sheppard's hand dropped onto his shoulder.

"Going to need you there too, Doc."

****

John looked around the conference table, feeling a sense of urgency even though he knew they had at least two days to plan this mission. He knew it was the thought of Rodney being held captive on-board the _Hermes_ that was fueling his fear and impatience, wondering what his abductors might be doing to him to extract information. Or perhaps they would force Rodney to work on the wormhole drive to get it operational sooner. If that happened then the _Hermes_ would be in the Milky Way in a matter of minutes and his chance of rescuing Rodney would be lost.

Rodney was smart though--and obstinate--and he would be aware of the danger in making the wormhole drive fully operational, so John knew Rodney would somehow figure out a way to delay the hijackers as long as possible. Once everyone was seated John opened his mouth to ask his first question only to be pulled up short by the conference door opening and Carson bustling inside.

"I heard what's happened!"

Woolsey looked like he was going to say something about Carson not being called to the meeting but he shook his head instead, obviously realizing that there was little point in arguing with their CMO. Carson seemed to have his own ideas on whether his inclusion was necessary or not. In addition, John knew that Rodney had refused to discriminate between this clone of Carson and the real one that had died on that terrible Sunday. As far as Rodney was concerned, this Carson was still his close friend, and Carson felt the same friendship in return for Rodney, so asking him to leave the meeting would gain them nothing but fear for the next time they entered Carson's medical domain on Atlantis. No one wanted to risk that.

John looked across the table. "Lorne?"

"I've completed the security check on all Atlantis personnel. There are four people missing, other than Doctor McKay. Doctors Daveed, Genoa, Amsula and Carleton. All were vetted and brought onto the _Hermes_ project by the IOA deputy chairman."

"Jiao Tseng?" Woolsey looked stricken that one of his own people might have been involved.

John nodded for Lorne to go on.

"Between them, they have the necessary skills to operate the _Hermes_."

"Obviously," Carson exclaimed, "Or they wouldn't have stolen her! And with Rodney on-board!"

John saw Lorne wince and stepped in before the meeting went off track. "Radek, what's the latest position on the _Hermes_?"

"Still heading on a direct course across Pegasus towards the Milky Way. It should reach the edge of Pegasus in fifty-two hours."

John pulled up the holographic screen set at the center of the conference table. "If she maintains course then we can gate here." He pointed to P3Z M22, "And intercept her there." He caught all the nods around the table. "I estimate it will take seven hours."

Woolsey looked to Radek for confirmation and gained it immediately with a sharp nod.

"And how do you plan on stopping her, Colonel Sheppard?"

"Now that's the tricky part, and I'll need Teyla, Ronon...and Radek."

Radek looked liked a frightened rabbit but if John's plan was to work then he needed someone with exceptional technical skills, and as Rodney was the _damsel in distress_ for this rescue mission, that left only Radek Zelenka. John waited as Woolsey mulled it over even though he knew Woolsey had little choice but to agree. If they didn't get the ship and Rodney back then Earth would lose the greatest advantage it had gained outside of the technical advances given freely by the Asgard.

"You have a go, Colonel. Bring them home."

****

Rodney heard a strange moaning sound, only belatedly realizing that it was coming from him. His mouth felt dry and he could feel the itchiness of dried drool at one corner. He groaned as he pushed himself up to a seated position.

"Ow." His lower back and neck were killing him from where he had been left on the hard floor of the brig. He rolled his neck, trying to ease out the kink before stretching to ease the pain in his back. Finally, he pushed unsteadily to his feet and gazed at the bars surrounding him. They had modeled the brig on the Wraith cell in Atlantis but his abductors had not raised the outer shield, probably believing that metal bars would be sufficient to hold him. Before he could make another move, the door slid open and a man he recognized but could not name stepped inside the room.

"Good of you to join us again, Doctor. It's time we put you to work."

Rodney folded his arms over his chest and raised his chin in defiance. "No."

"Perhaps a little persuasion might be in order." The man, who Rodney was convinced was one of the engineers brought onto the project against his wishes, pulled a combat knife out of a sheath at his belt and held it menacingly towards Rodney. "A finger perhaps?"

Rodney swallowed hard and curled his fingers into fists buried under his armpits to protect them. "I need my fingers. All of them!"

"You don't need both ears though...or a nose."

"Genoa! Leave him alone."

"I'm just having a little fun. After all the abuse he's put me through since arriving on Atlantis, I figure I deserve a little payback."

"You'll get your payback when we sell him to the highest bidder. Until then, nobody touches him."

"But if he gets the wormhole drive operational, we could be back in the Milky Way in a matter of minutes."

Rodney looked from Genoa to the new arrival as--Carrington? Castleton?--sneered at Genoa.

"You really don't get it. The damn drive is already operational or I wouldn't have set our plan in motion. It's just not tested...and I don't plan on letting McKay anywhere near the engines on this ship to make sure it stays operational. The buyers can do their own test flights. This ship is already faster than anything else they've got. Nobody's gonna catch us...unless those engines fail."

"So what do we do with him now that he's awake?"

"Leave him in the brig."

"If I don't eat, I could go into a coma and die," Rodney blurted out as both men turned away.

The leader of the two looked back in annoyance, and sighed in irritation before turning to the other. "Feed him. No citrus."

When the door closed behind them, Rodney relaxed his stance, letting his arms fall to his sides. He could feel the shakes building inside his body and guessed he must have been out for hours, probably going from stunned into a deep sleep brought on by exhaustion from too many hours spent in the labs and working on the _Hermes_. He had triple the staff now, which meant triple the paperwork and triple the number of progress reviews in his mailbox or sliding across his desk. He needed to reorganize the sciences to appoint department heads but had yet to get around to it. It wasn't as easy a task as in the military where everyone held a rank. With the scientists, every single one of them believed they should be in charge of their department. It was one of those tasks that would require time spent assessing every individual to see who would be best in the position--time he simply had not found while assessing the condition of the city following its return flight to Atlantis along with all the million and one other tasks expected of him.

He was determined to make it a priority as soon as he got back to Atlantis, if only so he could go over all the personnel files again to see if there were any more terrorists or saboteurs brought on-board on Earth.

Rodney blinked his eyes in surprise at his weird thoughts. Here he was in the brig on the _Hermes_ , the fastest ship in Earth's fleet, heading to parts unknown where his abductors expected to sell him and his wormhole drive to the highest bidder...and rather than panicking, he was making plans for changing the way personnel were selected in future to weed out potential terrorists.

He had always seen the worst-case scenario in any situation--and still did--and yet he was convinced that the worst would not come to pass.

Why?

Rodney sank to the ground and smiled sardonically. The truth was he trusted John, and Ronon and Teyla, to come for him. He knew John would keep on looking and never give up as long as Rodney lived, no matter the consequences. It was a sobering thought, to realize that there was someone out there who would move heaven and Earth to find him, and he already knew how it could be done.

The administrative error that made it look like the hyperdrive Jumper had been assigned to the SGC had been no error. He and Radek had fixed it between them to ensure the Jumper stayed on Atlantis where it might actually come out of mothballs occasionally. The only other jumper left at the SGC--or Area51 to be precise--had not been taken out on a flight in four years. With several battle cruisers, Asgard beaming technology and squadrons of X302s, they didn't really need a Jumper except to reverse engineer it for the Ancient technology it contained.

As for Rodney, right at this moment that hyperdrive jumper could mean the difference between being rescued or suffering a lifetime of servitude within the Lucian Alliance--or some other race or planetary system wanting to be Top Dog in the Milky Way.

Atlantis could track the _Hermes_ all the way to the edge of Pegasus so all John needed to do was jump ahead using the Stargate system and lie in wait along the route. At least, he hoped John or maybe Radek had thought of that idea. For this reason, Rodney needed to know how long he had been unconscious. He needed to know how close they were to leaving Pegasus so he could time his escape from the brig. Once free he would have to wait for the right moment to sabotage the hyperdrive engines. He figured that, at the worst, he might have to stay in the brig for another twenty or more hours but that would lull his abductors into a false sense of security.

The door slid open and Rodney jumped to his feet. Genoa entered, carrying a covered tray in one hand and the ZAT in another.

"Unless you want to eat this cold, then I'd advise you to step back."

Rodney raised both hands and stepped all the way to the back wall as Genoa keyed the lock on the small section designed for passing items like food trays to and from the cell. He slid the tray towards Rodney and keyed the lock once more, sneering once before leaving. Rodney waited until the door had closed behind him to go investigate the tray. No utensils, he noticed, but that had never stopped Ronon and wouldn't stop Rodney, whose stomach growled loudly as the aroma filled the brig. He ate quickly, having had too much experience of being held captive to waste any time where food was concerned. Too often their captors returned quickly and removed the trays before they had managed to eat more than a few mouthfuls. Both John and Ronon had never seemed surprised, almost expecting it as part of the psychology of holding prisoners. He recalled John's explanation.

_It's to help induce Stockholm Syndrome. Make you dependent on your captor for your survival--for food, water, shelter...even protection._

It made sense, though Rodney didn't think his current abductors were that bothered as they planned to sell him rather than keep him as their slave scientist. It was the ones who _bought_ him that he would have to worry about...if that happened.

He cursed himself for allowing a small seed of doubt to form where, before, he had felt so strong. John was coming for him, he thought determinedly, and likely bringing Ronon and Teyla with him. They would get him back.

He forced in the last few mouthfuls of meat and vegetables and mopped up the gravy with the small roll. There wasn't a dessert and he wondered if that was Genoa being petty as the _Hermes_ had a stock of pre-packed desserts in the galley. His thoughts drifted back to John, and how he often seemed to slide over his dessert, much to Rodney's delight, and smile indulgently as Rodney took that first blissful bite. If he wasn't so completely certain that John was as straight as they came then Rodney might have made a stupid play for him years ago. Stupid because he would have jeopardized the best friendship he'd ever had. Still, he couldn't help wondering what it might have been like if John had been interested especially now that the US military had dropped their barbaric regulations against homosexuality. Even the Satedans were a more enlightened bunch...not that he was denigrating Ronon's people in any way as he was sure they had once been a great people--like so many other Pegasus races before the Wraith took over the whole galaxy and sent the Ancients packing.

His thoughts drifted along these strange tangents for several more meals, the time identified by the type of food on the tray: breakfast, lunch, dinner, but all he had to keep the boredom at bay was his thoughts as his abductors had left him nothing to work on. No laptop, no datapad...not even paper or pen. Nothing except his brain, and that had yet to let him down...except when he had the parasite in his head, but that was different, he thought. Yet the memory of those dark days where he could feel everything he knew slipping away still haunted him. Even his self-proclaimed love for Jennifer had faded, which was quite revealing really as he never forgot John. Even when he could barely string two words together, one of those words had been _John_. He had memories of running terrified through the corridors of Atlantis, calling for John. He had fractured memories of sitting on the pier, drinking beer and laughing together, feeling so safe as long as John was with him.

Once he had recovered, he recalled feeling so guilty at the way he had shoved Jennifer aside, crying out for John even as she tried to calm him down. Yet Rodney could not pinpoint the exact moment when John became the most important person in his life. It wasn't back in Antarctica as all he had felt then was envy at yet another flyboy having a strong expression of the gene. It wasn't when they first stepped through the Stargate even though Rodney could recall following John up the steps and watching the lights come on beneath John's passing feet--again that had been more of a mixture of awe and jealousy.

Yet, sometime between that moment and Rodney gaining his _mouse-gene_ , as John liked to call it, he had come to trust John with shooting him in the leg and throwing him off a balcony. By the end of their first mission together, he had more than simply cared whether John would live or die after John was bitten by the Iratus bug. Rodney had always considered himself an equal opportunity lover, and perhaps it was the shared danger that had bonded him to John, but he recalled being so worried that John might be as homophobic as his military that he had gone that extra mile in making sure neither John nor the marines under his command found a reason to employ a little gay bashing at his expense. He knew that had been cowardly but they had been a long way from Earth, and the hoped-for pile of ZPMs had yet to be discovered.

After a time it simply became second nature to talk about women and only think about men...though he deliberately tried not to think about John in that way in case he accidentally blurted it out one day. Yet when he looked back on his relationships with first Katie and then Jennifer, it was obvious now that he had sabotaged both. When he was trapped in the botany laboratory with Katie during the quarantine, all he could think about was what was happening beyond those doors, and whether John was safe. His fears had consumed him with his mouth running before fully engaging his brain. At least he hadn't tried to smash through windows and climb the city walls to get to John, though the thought had crossed his mind before common sense and self-preservation kicked in. Although he was fitter from all that running for his life, he wasn't stupid enough to believe he could scale vertical walls unless the alternative was certain death--and it hadn't come to that.

With Jennifer he had implied promises that he never intended to keep. On the plane ride back from Tunney's disastrous global warming experiment, Jennifer had waited until he was sated and stupid from sex to start planting ideas of white picket fences and a professor's position at a Wisconsin college. Sated and stupid was explanation enough for why he had murmured an agreement to her every proposal for their joint future. She had sweetened it with promises of _not now_ , of _sometime in the future when they had both had their fill of running for their lives_. Unfortunately, that future had crept closer with each passing month until it had loomed over them after Atlantis returned to Earth to save the planet.

When she broke off their engagement only days before the wedding, he had been confused, wondering what he had done wrong but these past months had given him a chance to go back over the days leading up to the end of their relationship. He remembered one incident so clearly now though it seemed so trivial at the time. Jennifer had wanted to send his resume to the University of Wisconsin where they had an opening for a professor in the Applied Math, Engineering and Physics Program...and he had hesitated. Caught between making Jennifer happy and continuing his work on the _Hermes_...he had hesitated.

Worse, he barely even thought of her now. The only slot emptied by Jennifer that John had not filled in Rodney's _newly single_ life was in his bed. Anyone looking at them from the outside might easily believe that he and John were more than just friends. Certainly, over the past month, Rodney had started to wish that was true but it all came back to holding onto the best friendship of his life.

He forced himself to get some sleep, knowing it would help pass the time and leave him better prepared for what was coming. When Genoa came back to collect the latest tray, Rodney did exactly as the man asked and allowed him to retrieve it but this time he called out as Genoa turned to leave.

"Are we still in Pegasus?"

Genoa smirked. "Not for long."

"How long?"

"How long before Atlantis stops tracking us?"

Rodney pulled back his shoulders and Genoa barked out a short laugh. "What? You think we don't know about the long range sensors? Well, in another nine hours, we'll be long gone." Genoa didn't wait for a response and the door slid shut behind him.

Rodney knew he had to wait until Genoa collected the tray after the next meal before making his move. Having been unfortunate enough to be locked in a cell in Atlantis--his home--Rodney had been determined to make sure he had a way out if it should ever happen again, so he had built a back-door command into the programming. Only someone with similar exceptional programming skills to himself would ever find it, and Rodney knew that none of his abductors had that skill.

He sat down to wait, hoping he had not misjudged John.

****

The puddlejumper was fully loaded with everything John believed they would need in the rescue attempt. Already geared up for an off-world mission, he waited at the top of the ramp as Ronon and Teyla entered the Jumper bay, followed by a very nervous Zelenka and Captain Shakroun. As he started to reach for the control that would raise the ramp, he saw a flurry of activity. Laden down with equipment, Carson couldn't quite move fast enough but John could see he was determined.

"Carson?"

"I'll not be letting you leave without me. What if Rodney needs medical attention?"

He knew Carson had a point but John had wanted to take a small strike force, making the strong assumption that the hijackers would keep Rodney safe and unharmed simply because he was worth more to them alive.

"I think--"

"He's got a point," Ronon stated succinctly and grabbed two of the cases off Carson and stowed them away. "McKay could test the patience of a kaskrat."

John had no idea what a kaskrat was but he had a pretty good idea what Ronon was implying. It wouldn't be the first time someone used physical harm as a way of persuading Rodney to do something or shut up--recalling the faint scar from Kolya's knife. He sighed and nodded. A skilled tactician revised his game plan to meet new obstacles or cater for resource changes so he'd simply factor in Carson. Closing the ramp, John made his way to the cockpit and he heard Radek swear softly as John powered up the HUD.

"What's up, Doc?"

"Why did I not think if this before? The _Hermes_ engineering overrides will be locked down and may require someone with a high expression of the ATA gene for access. It was a safety feature that Rodney was considering adding only a few days ago. I do not know if he made those changes to the base code."

"We do have Captain Shakroun on-board," he replied, glancing across as Shakroun smiled and continued with her copilot duties. Although he didn't plan to get hurt, and certainly didn't plan on losing Rodney, John knew it would be foolish to have only one gene carrier on-board the jumper. At the very least, he needed another pilot who could take the controls during the long flight to the intercept point. John would have preferred to have brought Lorne along but he needed to leave someone in command on Atlantis while he went after Rodney, and Lorne was the best man for that job. Shakroun had a working knowledge of the _Hermes_ , which made her a better choice for the mission--or at least, he had presumed she would be a better choice.

"Her expression of the gene may not be strong enough," Radek added.

"Well, it looks like that won't be a problem now we have Carson on-board," he replied, enjoying the uneasy look he received from Carson who he knew still feared interfacing with the Ancient technology. His smile broadened as Carson insisted on Teyla taking the fourth seat in the cockpit and joined Ronon in the back.

"Dial the gate," John ordered, and Shakroun began pressing the symbols that would open a Stargate that would put them closest to the extrapolated flight path of the _Hermes_.

Moments later, they were soaring over a dusty world devoid of greenery, which made it so different from the many other worlds they had traveled to over the years. When asked why every planet seemed to look the same, Rodney had explained that the Ancients had terraformed each planet on the Stargate system to sustain humanoid life. The occasional non-Vancouver-looking woodland world was more likely due to catastrophic events over the last ten thousand years...or the Wraith. It made sense. He set course for where he anticipated intercepting the _Hermes_ and the jumper leaped forward, heading straight up through the atmosphere of the planet, the cloudless blue slowly turning to the blackness of space.

With the course locked on there was little left to do except go over the plans one more time, and try not to think of Rodney scared and alone on-board the ship, wondering if anyone could save him before he was basically sold into slavery. The thought of losing Rodney made his gut ache and he forced himself to relax. Four hours later, he handed the Jumper over to Shakroun, intending to take a power-nap so he'd be on top of his game by the time they reached the intercept point.

Teyla nudged him awake a few hours later, and John piloted the jumper until they reached a point in the vacuum between the stars where they could lie in wait fully cloaked and undetectable even to the _Hermes_. Radek had rigged a mid-range sensor and John was relieved when, an hour later, the _Hermes_ blipped onto the edge of their sensor range, thankfully heading straight in their direction.

"Okay. She's faster than us so we're going to have only one shot at this. I want everything the engine can handle for one short burst of speed."

Radek nodded even though the order had not been necessary as this had been the plan they had discussed over and over. From the HUD report, John could see Radek re-routing all systems including life support into the hyperdrive while the _Hermes_ came closer and closer. John knew he had to time this perfectly, banking on the modifications made to the hangar bay shielding to allow a Jumper access, and the hope that none of the hijackers had thought to change the command that would open the hangar bay door. Radek was convinced that only a single light would blink on the security console, and John was banking on even more luck that they would be in and the door closed before anyone on the bridge noticed.

"Get ready!" John concentrated hard, blending with the jumper, becoming one with it as the _Hermes_ began to pass them. In a single thought he sent the command to open the bay door and simultaneously full burn the hyperdrive. He felt a moment of dismay when he realized they might not make it but, suddenly, the _Hermes_ seemed to lose momentum. Not enough to be noticeable to the human eye but sufficient to give the jumper a minute edge on speed.

"We're in!" Radek exclaimed excitedly as the jumper stopped all forward momentum and the bay door closed behind them, all within a few seconds.

John took a moment to breathe a sigh of relief before parking the jumper. He grabbed a hand-held Wraith stunner from the rack, not wanting to risk P90 fire on-board the ship.

"You know what to do."

Carson grabbed another of the small Wraith stun guns and a life-signs detector and followed Teyla, Shakroun and Radek down the ramp behind John and Ronon. Armed with his own life-signs detector, John and Ronon waited until the other group has reached the bend in the corridor, heading down towards engineering. If he was right then they had two of the four hijackers to deal with, leaving two for him and Ronon. Yet there was another blip close to the auxiliary control room that was slowly making its way towards the hangar bay, on an intercept course with John and Ronon.

He indicated for Ronon to wait, both holding weapons ready and knew even without glancing at the LSD that the blip was almost on top of them just by the predatory smile growing on Ronon's face. They both leaped out and jerked their weapons away as Rodney yelped in surprise.

"What are you trying to do? Give me a heart attack."

"Rodney! No offense but aren't you supposed to be in a cell?"

Rodney huffed and waved a hand. "You don't think I'd be stupid enough not to have a back-door into the cell's programming."

"Remind me to get Zelenka to check the code before I ever lock you up on Atlantis." John grabbed Rodney's arm and started hauling him along. "Let's get moving before someone does shoot you and ruins my rescue plan."

"Hah! If it wasn't for me you'd be adrift in space staring at our fast receding rear. Who do you think slowed down the _Hermes_?"

John's step faltered but it explained that imperceptible loss of momentum at that last moment. "You did, did you?"

"I quite rightly assumed you'd use the hyperdrive jumper to jump ahead using the long range sensors and the Stargate system, lie in wait, and try to sneak on-board. I simply had to wait until I saw the hangar bay door opening."

John raised an eyebrow as Ronon slapped Rodney on the back in approval. "Which is why you were in auxiliary control. I don't suppose you disabled the blinking light on the bridge?"

"What?" Rodney's eyebrows shot up when it sunk in. "Well...no."

"Fine. Now do want our help to take back the ship or have you already got that under control too."

"Yes, well. Not exactly. They have ZATs."

John glanced at Ronon. "One shot to stun, two to kill, three to clean up the mess."

"Seen them. Used one. Even noisier powering up than my blaster, and heavier."

"I ordered a couple of crates of ZAT guns while on Earth," John shrugged. "Just in case."

"Well, it looks like someone availed themselves of your guns."

"Amsula, Carleton, Daveed and Genoa."

"Carleton!" Rodney exclaimed softly. "I've only seen two of them...him and Genoa...but I think he's the one in charge."

John saw Rodney look down at his arm and he realized he was still holding onto Rodney tightly. It took a lot of hidden effort to let go, and he ignored the smirk he gained from Ronon.

"Come on. Radek is going to override the hyperdrive engines and take them offline, and we are going to take back the bridge."

"Ah..." Rodney winced. "I hope he has someone with a good expression of the gene with him. I changed the security protocols a few days ago."

"Carson's with him."

"Carson?"

"He insisted on coming along."

"Really? Carson?"

By now they had reached the final corridor leading to the bridge. He smiled when Teyla radioed to confirm that she and Shakroun had taken out the two hijackers in engineering. Radek would wait for John's order before cutting power to the bridge security system and all but the emergency lighting, using the overrides known only to a select few for a very good reason. John forced Rodney to stay well back as he and Ronon took up position.

"Radek. Now."

He grinned as the power went down and the door slid open, darting inside to the right while Ronon went left. John caught one of the hijackers in mid-motion as the man reached for his ZAT gun, taking him down with one shot from his stunner. The other, Carleton, ducked behind the cover of a console and returned fire, flailing backwards when Ronon's shot hit its target. They really hadn't stood a chance.

"Radek, power back on."

The lights came back up to full power and Rodney rushed onto the bridge, heading straight for the navigation console. The lack of stars through the view screen showed that they had left the Pegasus galaxy and Rodney began to turn the _Hermes_ around. He grinned back over his shoulder as John sank into the command chair.

"Take us home, Rodney."

Rodney's smile widened even further. "Looks like you get your shakedown cruise after all," he stated. "Setting course for closest Stargate. ETA approximately six hours and thirty-two minutes."

John stood up and grinned at Ronon. "Let's take our guests to their new quarters. And Rodney? I want that back-door shut just in case."

"Oh, it will be...for them," he added under his breath.

Fifteen minutes later, John stared at the four men sprawled unconscious in the cell. He recognized them as engineers who had worked with Rodney on the _Hermes_ since they left Earth. They had been part of the additional science contingent sent along once Rodney had convinced the SGC to allow him to complete his work on the _Hermes_. John had a feeling that they would be held indefinitely under tight security in case they had already garnered too much knowledge of the wormhole drive. By now, IOA Deputy Jiao Tseng would also be in custody for her part in the conspiracy to steal the _Hermes_ and sell her technology to the highest bidder. John hoped they threw away the key.

"Do you think they'll be a little cramped and uncomfortable in there, four to the same cell?" Carson asked.

"Oh, I'm counting on it."

****

Leaving Radek in charge of engineering, watching over the hyperdrive with Shakroun, Rodney made his way to the galley and heated up some of the food Carson had left out ready. Carson and Teyla would be relieving John on the bridge while Ronon was determined to stand guard over their prisoners until they could send them through the Stargate to Atlantis. At the same time, Rodney would ask Woolsey to send through more personnel to crew the _Hermes_ but he was determined to stay on-board no matter how much Woolsey insisted to the contrary. The plan had been to take the _Hermes_ out on her maiden voyage for a shakedown cruise, and now they were out here, there was no reason not to finish the job properly.

Once they ironed out any remaining problems, then they could begin testing the wormhole drive.

Rodney poured himself a coffee and sank down at the closest table with his meal, not surprised when the door slid open and John joined him at the table a few minutes later with a full tray. He wondered if John had slept much since the whole ordeal started but guessed he would have had a power-nap on-board the jumper during the long flight to the intercept point.

For once Rodney ate in silence, content to simply soak up John's physical presence. When he had finished, John moved the empty trays onto the next table where they could bus them later. With nothing between them, Rodney had no choice but to look directly at John.

"How are you doing?" John asked softly.

"Me?" He shrugged. "Apart from back and neck ache from sleeping on the cell floor for two days, and annoyance at being stunned on my own ship, I feel remarkably well rested." He grimaced. "There wasn't exactly much to do but sleep while I waited."

"That's what I don't get, Rodney. How did you know we'd aim for that particular Stargate?"

Rodney smiled. "I saw the navigation console before they stunned me. Not many Stargates on the route they were taking, and most of those would leave a nineteen to twenty-five hour journeys to the intercept point."

"Still doable."

"Not with the jumper's hyperdrive under repairs. Those idiots at Area51 tried to reverse engineer before I...borrowed her back. With all the extra work since leaving Earth, I hadn't had the time to assign anyone to fix it." He huffed out softly. "I gave Radek a day to get her back online, and determined that left you with the last Stargate before the void as the only workable option."

John nodded. "You did good, Rodney."

Rodney began to wring his hands nervously. "I...had a few doubts."

"Understandable." John reached over and stilled Rodney's hands. "But know this. I would have come for you. Even if I had to hunt you down through the whole of the Milky Way. I would never have stopped looking for you. All you ever have to do is hang on...and stay alive."

Rodney looked down at their clasped hands and when John tried to draw back, Rodney tightened his grip.

"You know I'd do the same for you."

John smiled. "You already did."

"Huh?"

"You spent twenty-five years of your life working out a way to bring me home, to save the people we...care about." John licked his lips nervously, and Rodney felt a moment of remorse because he knew how hard it was for John to share his feelings but there was a determination in John's eyes to say what was on his mind. "Rodney. I...lied. I love you more than a friend loves another friend."

"Really?"

John winced and started to draw away again but this time Rodney stood and pulled John to his feet with him. He moved so that the table was no longer between them, and leaned in breathing, "Oh, thank God!" as he pressed his mouth to John's. At first John froze but then it was like a dam breaking open and John was pulling him in tight, body's pressed together as the kiss deepened. Rodney dragged his mouth away as another thought stuck him.

"Wait? You were jealous _of_ Jennifer!"

"No."

Rodney managed to get a waggling finger in front of John's face. "No, no, no. You can't pretend otherwise."

"Fine. So maybe I was...a little."

"I knew it!" Rodney crowed, even though he had only just figured it out.

Yet it was so obvious in hindsight, recalling John's attitude towards Jennifer, and how he had practically flounced from Rodney's room that time Rodney had offered to spend his day off traipsing around after her off-world, while she inoculated some Pegasus locals. It was not as if Rodney had made any arrangements to spend the day with John, whom he had seen semi-flirting with one of Rodney's female scientists only the day before. Except, now that he thought back to it, there was a good chance that she had been the only one doing the flirting, and it was his own denial of his feelings for John--unacknowledged resentment and jealousy--that saw it differently.

Another kiss stopped his thoughts dead in their tracks, and he let this one carry him away.

****

**Epilogue:**

As he came down from the euphoric high, John knew he was wearing a goofy grin but he really didn't care. The hot, sweaty body collapsed over him was already too heavy but he couldn't muster up the energy to complain. He felt Rodney's softening cock slip from his body and grinned wider at the soft moan of irritation from Rodney. Rodney moved off him while carefully holding onto the used condom, and John watched with renewed pleasure as Rodney climbed out of their shared bed and weaved on unsteady legs towards the bathroom, offering John the perfect view of his gorgeous ass. Rodney came back a minute later having discarded the condom and wiped himself over with a warm damp washcloth, treating John to another perfect view of his new life partner.

Rodney climbed back onto the bed and dropped a clean washcloth on John's stomach before collapsing onto his back.

"Hey!"

"You made the mess," Rodney murmured sleepily before grabbing for the covers.

"I distinctly remember your hand being involved," John shot back, laughing softly as Rodney mumbled about pushy colonels.

In the end, getting together had been so easy that John wanted to kick himself for not having made a move on him earlier, and almost losing Rodney to Jennifer instead. He knew there had been good reasons at the time--DADT, fraternization--but even after those no longer applied he had held back for fear of losing their friendship.

Months after the incident that had finally brought them together, and given Earth the much needed advantage over her enemies, John could openly admit that he had found what he had been searching for all his life--Rodney. The fact that he was living in a beautiful, Ancient city that could read his thoughts; could fly cool spaceships that took only minutes to travel from here to the Milky Way; had used the _Hermes_ to rescue the people stranded on the Ancient ship, _Destiny_ , and was bringing peace to another galaxy was all just an added bonus.

After knowing each other for six years it could hardly be called a whirlwind romance but later today they would celebrate the change in their relationship formally in a civil union ceremony in front of the Stargate, presided over by Woolsey. John had been granted special dispensation to allow his brother and sister-in-law to attend the ceremony, alongside Jeannie and Kaleb. Their guests would be arriving shortly and John was looking forward to having the chance to show his brother why his work was so important--and classified--before the ceremony.

For now, though, they still had a few hours to relax, knowing their friends and colleagues had everything in hand. And with that in mind, John reached out and pulled a sleepy Rodney back into his arms, and kissed him tenderly.

END


End file.
